Vegetarianism

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Dear Sriman Kannan,

Jai Srimannarayana !

Keeping aside doing harm to fellow creatures in adopting non-vegetarianism, it

must be noted that indiscriminate consumption of food is anyhow harming

ourselves body and soul. Human beings are not born to control proliferation of

every other being just by eating them. The food we eat is responsbile both for

our growth as well as our decay, just as water can make us survive or kill

like drought/floods. Everybody knows how oneself undergoes though to his dislike

every moment various uncontrollable emotions like anger, greed, reactions to

dwandas/duels like joys/sorrows, heat/cold, happiness/unhappiness, gains/losses

and finally the everlasting lust etc. These emotions needs to be controlled one

day or the other. Our sastras, itihaas, puranas suggest control of inputs to

our senses is the only way out. These inputs (not only in the form of food but

inputs to other senses like ears, eyes, nose and touch) are classified as those

promoting Sattvic/Rajas/Tamas and the details of these intake are explicitly

dealt in Srimadbhagawadgita (Chapter 17).

 

If we recognize the unbearable hardships we face from all the sense

organs including its king the mind (Manas), we will certainly like to avoid

all the Rajasic and Tamasic inputs with full faith, just as a terminally ill

patient totally sticks to all the restrictions put by his doctor without

questioning to avoid the pain. Thus our sastras and acharyas not only

categorized non-veg items but also many vegetarian items which promote

Rajas/Tamas like onions, garlic, drumstick, gongur, old food, etc. and other

foods which are not offered to Lord Srimannarayana. Thus a Mumukshu who

realizes the pains of duality from the senses, at once rejects all the

rajasic/tamasic food in addition to sticking to the Tiruvadi of

Acharya/Emperuman/Emperumanaar without any second thought.

 

Simple rules of food our acharyas say all should know are

What to eat ?

When to eat ?

Where to eat ?

How to eat ?

How much to eat ?

 

 

Jai Srimannarayana

Dr.Kilambi Ramakrishna Ramanuja Dasan